Aim to Die with Zero to Maximize Your Finite Life Energy

When I first plotted my own net-worth curve, I was stunned to see it climb well into my seventies—long after I’d lost the health and energy to do what I love. That realization hit me like a cold wave: I was on track to work decades longer than I needed just to hoard money I would never spend. I pictured my 85-year-old self, frail, sipping bitter hospital coffee, wishing I’d used those dollars when I had the strength to sprint mountains.

That moment reset my priorities. I studied my peak—in my case between 45 and 55—and vowed to break open my nest egg then. I began spending on high-treasure experiences: family trips, poker tournaments, and a once-in-a-lifetime house concert with Natalie Merchant. Every dollar I spent after my peak brought outsized memory dividends.

I’m 50 now, still firm in my course. I’ve rearranged my work and my savings so that I retire from hoarding by my peak date and transition into living. This shift—from “keeping my money safe” to “spending it boldly”—transformed my life. I truly believe dying with zero is the clearest, most efficient way to squeeze every drop of joy from this one wild ride.

You know your survival math now, so pencil in the age when your net worth should top out—your personal peak. After that date, shift from saving mode to spending mode: pick one bold, high-value experience you’ve dreamed of and book it. Make it real. Give it a shot before your tailwinds of youth and health start to fade.